The Red Sea
by Kihin Ranno
Summary: Only two of them are left. One drowned the world, and the other has to find the strength to save it.


The Red Sea  
Written for the Sailor Moon Monthly Fanfiction Challenge  
September 2008 - Images Only  
by Kihin Ranno

Sailor Moon awoke with the taste of copper in her mouth and red smeared across her knees. But the scream didn't erupt from her throat until she fully opened her eyes. It exploded from the depths of her, filling the air and resounding through every corner of the street. She could almost believe it replaced every oxygen molecule in the air with the sound of her anguish.

She knew it wasn't true, suspected it wasn't scientifically feasible, and mourned with the knowledge that it wouldn't matter much if it had happened. There was no one left to breathe.

Sailor Moon pushed herself to her feet, trembling and stumbling and longing for a pair of arms to wrap around her tiny frame. She hugged herself, wishing it were Rei or Mamoru or Haruka, who in a way had been the start of all this. She wished as hard as she could and looked straight ahead, refusing to look at the crumbled corpses and half-corpses and pieces of corpses that littered the walkway.

She tripped over a shoe. Her heart sank when she saw the gold color and the ankle strap. Her stomach lurched when she saw the ankle.

Eventually, Sailor Moon found her target. Covered in blood up to the waist, eyes frighteningly blank. Sea foam hair floating around her pale face like a storm cloud with lightning to vanquish them all.

"Michiru," Sailor Moon whispered, not even having the strength to cry. "Why?"

The soldier from the oceans just stared. The silence stretched out like flesh over bone, taught and tangible. The quiet felt solid in this city of screaming ghosts.

"Why?" Sailor Moon repeated with more force. "Why did you do this? Why did... Why did you have to take them all?"

Neptune tilted her head to the side. "Where's Haruka?"

Sailor Moon wished she could have stopped her face from crumbling. She thought it would have been better to lie, but she just couldn't. Or maybe she didn't want to. "She died. You know she died. You held her in your arms, she bled out, and she died." She took a deep, terrible breath. "But that's no excuse. That's no reason to destroy us all."

Neptune looked away. "I want Haruka."

She couldn't stop the rage that sprang from her throat. "She's dead! And if I'd known what would have happened, I would have seen you go with her!" She shoved her fingers into her scalp and pushed, almost wanting to breach her skin. At least that way her body might feel more pain, distract her from the fact that her heart had been torn to shreds. "You took them all... The sea rose up and you drowned the city. Then you ripped our friends apart." She moaned, her knees threatening to collapse. "Mamo-chan..."

"I want Haruka," Neptune repeated dreamily.

"I tried," Sailor Moon sobbed. "I tried but it didn't work. I tried so many times."

Neptune's response cut the air like a knife.

"Then you can die too."

Neptune raised her arms above her head, sea water swirling around her emaciated form like a spout. Red mixed with the murky blue. She was going to drown Sailor Moon in a blood sea, a red sea, and then she would be the only soul in Tokyo. She'd ask for Haruka and all she'd receive is an echo in response, her own question bouncing back to her. She'd have no answers.

And then who knows where she'd go.

Sailor Moon straightened, red-rimmed eyes sparkling with tears and a promise. She shook her head slowly, holding her hands out in front of her chest. "I won't let you."

Hot and cold light, shimmering with silver and booming stretched as far as Usagi's eyes could see. She felt it push through Neptune's body and her power, felt it dissolve and fizzle like smoke and vapor. Then it spread over the city.

She didn't stop it.

Her fuku fell away in ribbons and feathers and her hair turned silver-white. The crescent moon appeared on her forehead. Wings sprouted from her back.

Serenity breathed and her power engulfed the world.

She lulled each and every one of those innocent souls to sleep. She shielded them from the cold and wrapped them in her magic. Then she gathered her friends to her, and her lover as well, and she slipped into her own blissful black. She prayed to her mother that she would forget these end of days.

Out of vengeance, she left Neptune behind.

Out of mercy, she gave her Uranus again.


End file.
